TEHRAN, YJC. -- The protests in Istanbul recall the Occupy movement rather than the uprisings in the Middle East, Turkey’s President Abdullah Gul said on Tuesday.
The protests sparked by outrage over the demolition of a park in Istanbul, which spread to cities across Turkey, recall the Occupy protests in the West rather than uprisings in the Middle East, President Abdullah Gul said on June 4.
"Someone who lives in London can perceive the situation differently. I'm watching [the events] closely too. But what happens in Turkey is completely different compared with what happens in the Middle East.
These are countries where there are no free elections, where the people's will is not reflected [in the ballot box] and the courts are not up to Western standards," Gül said during a meeting with Turkey's International Investors Association (YASED).